I am still catching my breath from that finale.

Who would have guessed that a Civil War II side book about the Kingpin that only had a four issue run would be one of my favorite Marvel series of 2016? I will put this book up there with anything Marvel has put out this year. That is including the excellent series, The Vision. I know that is a high accolade, but Civil War II: Kingpin #4 was that good. Too often, the final issue of a miniseries finds a way to coast to the end, and just give us a conclusion. I have read a few series like this lately, and have come away disappointed after being so excited with the first few issues. This book doesn’t have that problem. After the intense fight between The Punisher and Kingpin in the last issue, it was going to be hard to match that. Matthew Rosenberg did just that.

Instead of following the same path that the story had us on, Rosenberg writes an unexpected turn within the first few pages. I was very pleased with where this book went, and it kept me guessing quite a bit before it got to its conclusion.  Kingpin’s much smaller Inhuman friend Janus returns in a big way, and we see how he and the other lesser Marvel villains are affected by the events of the last book. This issue sets up some big stuff for Kingpin, and I hope Marvel does more things like this. Taking risks is good, and I now want to read more villain books like Thanos, and Bullseye which are both coming soon from Marvel. I never knew I wanted a Kingpin comic, and now here I am telling you that you should want one too.

Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and Hayden Sherman do a nice job on the art here. Everything feels sketchy and loose, and adds to the feeling that at any minute someone is going to get hurt very badly. It is a very cool art style that works with the action and the story quite well. This book to me was full of tension, even in the quiet moments. The art did a good job of letting you know when all hell was breaking loose. Mat Lopes on colors adds to the book by giving it a nice palette throughout and giving it a classic look that fits.

Matthew Rosenberg will be writing the ongoing Kingpin series coming to Marvel in 2017, and while I was excited for it before, now I feel like I need it. Right now. Rosenberg is quickly becoming a rising star, and I have a feeling we will be singing his praises for a long time.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and Hayden Sherman Color: Mat Lopes
Story: 10 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review